Everybody knows that they should floss but do you really have to floss? Flossing is time consuming and can be awkward without practice. Is it really worth the constant effort?

Brushing and flossing reduce destructiveness of bacteria by removing plaque and mechanically breaking up groups of bacteria. Groups of bacteria mixed with plaque are called a biofilm. Reducing the biofilm in our mouth allows our body to fight off the bacteria. This reduces the incidence of cavities and periodontal disease.

Every tooth in our mouth has five sides to keep clean. Our toothbrush can clean three sides effectively but not the other two sides in between our teeth. Plain and simple the bristles of a toothbrush do not fit between teeth. Our teeth are meant to fit tight together; this helps prevent food getting caught in spaces. Floss is really the best tool to fit.

There are other tools that can be used such as a proxybrush, softpiks, waterpiks or air/water flossers that can be used to supplement flossing when needed. Nothing truly can replace flossing daily so put flossing on the top of your New Year’s resolution list. Talk to your Registered Dental Hygienist at the Rideau Dental Centre about what tools are best for you. Call us for an appointment at 613-230-7475.

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Patient Education

Patient education library includes information on various topics ranging from dental care to oral health problems.